Sewing-machine ruffler.



J. D. KARLE.

sewme MACHINE RUFFLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULYSI, 1913. I

Patented June 26, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- WITNESSES:

m: NORRIS PETERS c0 rnamumo" wAsmnamn. o. c.

J. D. KARLE.

SEWING MACHINE RUFFLER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3|, 1913.

Patented June 26, 1917.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY JOHN D. KARLE, OF NEWARKyNEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE TO THE SINGER MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE RUFFLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed July 31, 1913. Serial No. 782,209.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, JOHN D. KARLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Ruliiers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. i

This invention relates to an improvement more particularly in that type of sewing machine ruliiers comprising a ruiiiing blade, a reciprocatory carrier therefor, an operating lever, and suitable connections between said lever and carrier for imparting operative movements to said ruflling blade; all, of said parts being mounted upon a single frame. It has been customary heretofore to provide such ruliiers with means whereby a ruffle maybe formedv in every operative movement of the operating lever or: at

greatly reduced frequency, the intervals of of the less frequent ruffle production being fixed, and usually in the proportion of one to live. The present invention has for its object to provide means whereby the frequency of rufile production in such class of rul'llers may be varied to any desired extent by a mere shift of a certain operative part or parts.

According to the presentimprovement, in its preferred form, an actuating pawl connected with the operating lever moves in permanent driving relation with a ratchetwheel mounted upon a fixed stud and carrying clutching means for establishing a driving connection between itself and a pattern-wheel composed of a plurality of peripherally toothed disks loosely mounted upon said stud and adapted to assume either operative or inoperative relation with a follower sustained by the rufiing blade carrier; the engagement of said follower with the patternwheel disks producing the ad vance movements of the rufliing blade at the desired intervals while an independent connection between the operating lever and the carrier effects the retraction of the ruffling blade immediately after each opera tive movement. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine ruflier constructed in accordance with the present improvement, Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations of the same taken from opposite tapped into the frame member 1-.

sides. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the rufller upon an enlarged scale. Fig.

-' 5 is a perspective view of the actuating pawl and its carrier, and F 1g. 6 a similar view of a member of the ruffle-blade stroke-controllmg means. Fig. 7 is a perspective view show ng the series of pattern-wheels and 1 their connecting means detached. Fig. 8 is f arearface view and Fig. 9 a sectional plan view of portions of the frame, and Fig. 10 -1s a plan of the separator-blade carrier. Figs. 11 and 12 are views similar to Figs. 4;-and 7 of a modification of the mechanism represented in the other figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, the frame comprises the presser-foot portion 1 formed with the upturned flange 2 terminating atits upper edge in the centrally .notched shank 3 adapted for attachment to the resser-bar of a sewing machine. From the parts 1 and 2 at one slde of the frame extends the lateral member 4 provided upon one edge with the upturned flange 5 formed of the ruffling blade 16 is secured in position, the serrated operative extremity of such blade being provided with the usual needle clearance notch 17.

The separatorblade carrier 18 is of wellknown form' and construction, having secured to its body portion the separatorblade 19 formed in its operative edge with the needleclear ance notch 20. This carrier is formed with reflexlybent and overhanging shank portion 21 having upon its lower face spaced integral studs 22 entering suitable aperturesin the top of the frame mem ber 41: and an intermediate slot 23 embracing the shank of a fastening screw 24 By loos ening the fastening screw sulhciently, the shank 21 may be lifted slightly to disengage its studs 22 from the apertures of the frame member and the carrier then withdrawn without entire removal of the fastening screw.

The standard 6 sustains a fulcrum-stud 25 upon which is mounted the apertured extremity of the operating lever 26 formed at its opposite end with the fork 27 adapted to engage a suitable abutment, such as that af forded by the needle-clamp screw of the needle-bar of sewing machine, which imparts one vibratory movement of the lever for each reciprocation of the needle-bar. The lever 26 is provided with the depend-- ing arm 28, and is formed with a longitudinal slot 29 entered by the stud-pin 30 of the vibratory arm 31 mounted upon the studpin 32 entering an aperture 33 therein and sustained bythe standard 6 at one side of the stud 25. The arm 31 is provided in its outer end with the recessed boss 34 sustaining the shouldered stud-pin 35 upon which is mounted the pawl 36 whose hub has attached thereto one end of a spring 37 disposed within the hollow boss 34 and having its opposite end connected with the latter (Fig. 4).

The reduced and screw-threaded end portion of the stud-pin 32 passing through the standard 6 is secured in position by means of the clamp-nut 38 applied thereto. This pin is provided near the reduced portion with the annual flange 39 entering a recess 40 in the face of a ratchet-wheel 41 mounted upon the pin 32 and formed with a series of peripheral teeth 42-the latter containing five, as represented in Fig. 7. Interposed between the outer portion of the ratchetwheel 41 and the hub of the arm 31 is an arched segment-shaped spring 43 formed upon the face adjacent the ratchet-wheel with a radial rib 44 adapted for engagement with and serving as a detent for the ratchet-wheel teeth 42. This spring is also formed in its hub portion (Fig. 7) with an inturned holding lip 45 which in practice enters an aperture 46 therefor (Fig. 4) in the standard 6 outside and, rearward of the apertured boss of the arm 31 to prevent the turning of the spring with the ratchetwheel. The spring 43 imposes a drag upon the arm 31 and ratchet-wheel 41 to prevent overthrow in the operation of the ruifler.

Loosely mounted upon the pin 32 is ,a sleeve 47 with cylindrical head 48 formed with the central cavity 49 between the bottom of which and the cap 50 secured to the outer end of the stud-pin 32 is interposed the spring 51 surrounding the outer end of said pin. Fitted upon the sleeve 47 is a patternwheel composed of the disk-sections 52 53 54, and a dial-plate or index-disk 55, which are rigidly secured together and to the sleeve by riveting the end of the latter to clamp such disks firmly against the head 48. The disks 52, 53 and 54 are formed with different numbers of peripheral teeth or projec deX-disk 55 having merely an aperture 58 to receive the stud 57 of the adjacent disk. By this means the pattern-wheel disk-sections are maintained strictly in register so that the single tooth 56 of the disk 52 will overlie one of the corresponding teeth of each of the disks53 and 54, and so that the three teeth of the disk 53 will overlie three of the teeth of disk 54. The pattern-wheel constitutes a cam the contour of whose component operative parts is followed by the stud 14. This element thus constitutes what may be properly termed a follower-stud.

The ratchet-wheel 41 carries upon its recessed face the rigid coupling pin 59 adapted to enter apertures 60 in each of the pattern wheel disks. As represented in Fig. 7, the disk 52 has three of the apertures 60, the disk 53 two and the disk 54 only one. The arrangement of the apertures 60 is such that when the coupling pin is in its uppermost position and in register with apertures of all the pattern-wheel disks, the spring 51 will press them toward the ratchet-wheel 41 so as to bring the teeth of disk 54 into operative relation with the follower-stud 14, whereby the disk 54, containing the larger number of teeth, becomes the controlling counting element and imparts a ruffling impulse through the follower-stud 14 to the carrier 11 and thence to the rufiling blade 16 once for each of the five teeth of the ratchet-wheel 41, whereby continuous ruflling is produced. In this adjustment of the parts the number 1 of the dialplate 55 will be uppermost.

By retracting the head 48 and turning it to bring the figure 3 of the dialplate uppermost while the coupling pin is in the position described, the pin will pass through the disks 52 and 53 and its end will rest upon the adjacent face of the disk 54, thereby locking the latter out of operative relation with the fling blade in each rotation of the ratchetwheel 41.

By setting the dial-plate with the figure 5 uppermost under corresponding conditions, the adjacent face of pattern-wheel disk 53 will rest upon the extremity of the coupling pin 59, whereby the disk 52 will assume control, as represented in Fig. 4,-in which wheel corresponding with five reciprocations of the operating lever 26; and by setting the dial-plate to the zero mark the adjacent face of the disk 52 will rest upon the extremity of the coupling pin whereby all of the pattern-wheel disks will be maintained out'of operativerelation with the followerstud 1 1, and will rotate idly with the ratchetwheel so that plain sewing may be performed without removal of the ruflier from the machine.

It will be observed that the'several disks 52, 53, 54 form a sectional pattern-wheel whose peripheral teeth or controlling elements are of different widths, whereby its lateral adjustment will shift the working position so that different numbers of them will engage the follower-stud in the rotation of the wheel and thus vary the frequency of action of the rufliing blade. In the present embodiment the ruffling blade is governed in its action by a controlling'member composed of the pattern-wheel section 52, 53, 541, and the driving wheel section or ratchet-wheel 41, which are spring-pressed together and caused to move in unison by means of the coupling and spacing pin 59. The operative portions or controlling elements of the pattern-wheel occupy permanently their initial relative positions in the 7 ruffling cycles.

ordinary use of the rufliing device, in that they maintain a fixed relation in all adjustments of the pattern-wheel relative to its normal operative movements for effecting variations in the frequency of actuation of the ruflimg blade in performing successlve,

The flange 10 of the ruffling-blade carrier 11 is formed at opposite ends withparallel bearing lugs 61 in which are j ournaled the opposite ends of the screw-threaded adjusting rod 2 provided at one end with the knurled head 63 and having fitted upon its threaded portion the nut 641 formed with the thrust-plate 65 having an edge adapted to rest in contact with the flange IO-and provided with a depending and backwardly inclined extension 66 adapted for engagement with the extremity of the arm 28 of the operating lever 26. The advance of the rufiiing-blade carrier under the action of the pattern-wheel moves the thrust-plate extension 66 forward. By turning the adjusting screw 62, the position of the thrust-plate upon the carrier may be shifted to 'vary' the degree of lost motion betweenit and-the lever-arm 28, and to determine theretracted position of the rufliing blade and the range of movement of the latter dependent thereon. When the thrust-plate is adjusted out of the range of movement of thearm 28 it is obvious that the ruffling blade will remain idle notwithstanding the continued step-bystep rotary movement of the patternwheels in either operative or inoperative relation with-the follower-stud 14.

' As represented in the drawings, the portion 2 of the frame member is formed inits rearward face with laterally spaced integral rivets 67 entering corresponding apertures in the shank portion 68 of the spring-shoe 69 of the presser-foot member 1, the shank 68 being formed in its upper edge with a notch 70 entered by the fastening clamp-screw 71 by means of which the yielding shoe 69 is removably secured in posit1on.

The separator-blade carrier 18 is provided with the usual fabric-guiding slots 18, and the top of the foot member 1 of the frame has secured thereon by means of the fastenmg screw 72 entering the transverse slot 73, the shank 74 of a tapeguide 75, but these guides form no part of the present invention.

In the operation of the attachment, the operating lever 26 derives its vibratory movements from the reciprocation of the sewing machine needle-bar and transmits the same by means of the pin-and-slot connection 29 30 to the swinging arm 31 whose operative movements are transmitted through the pawl 86 to,the ratchet-wheel 41, and through it, by means of the coupling pin 59, to the pattern-wheel. The selective adjustment of thepattern-wheel determines which of its peripheral controlling elements shall control the operative impulses im- I parted to the follower-stud 1 1 and to the carrier through the ruffling blade 16. The return movement of the operating lever effects the engagement of the arm 28 with the thrustplate extension 66 by means of which the rufiiing blade is retracted after each advance movement. Inorder to prevent the overthrow of the rufHing-blade carrier, the flange 12 of the follower-plate has secured thereon by means of the screws 9 the apertured lateral extension 7 6 of an arched springfl77 which rests in frictional contact with the frame member 5.

In the embodiment of the present invention above described, the controlling or counting elements are positioned selectively,

by reason of the capability of lateral adjust- .ment of the pattern-wheel, in operative re- 'engagementwith a shoulder of a swinging lever permanently connected with the ruffling-blade carrier but is controlled in the frequency of such engagement by a patternwheel receiving a partial rotation for each ruffling movement of the operating lever. In connection with either type of ruflling mechanism a wide range of adjustment may be secured by theemployment of a patternwheel composed of a plurality of controlling elements with means whereby they may be shifted selectively into operative relation with a follower, which latter may be either a stud to transmit the ruflling impulse or the lateral extension of a pawl whose Working position is thereby controlled to determine its frequency of engagement of a member connected with the rufliing blade.

In the modification of the ruifler represented in Figs. 11 and 12, the operative parts are the same in construction as in the form of the rufiler represented in the preceding figures, exceptingf the pattern-wheel. In

these figures, the pattern-wheel is shown constructed of a cupped disk 7 8 provided at its periphery with the laterally projecting studs 7 9 80 81 82 and 83 of difierent lengths, and the cylindrical block 84 afl'ording a hub for the same. The centrallyapertured parts 78 and 84 are secured upon the sleeve 47 in the same manner as the sectional pattern-wheel previously described.

The hub portion 84 is formed with a series of apertures 85 86 87 88 and 89 parallel with its axis and of different depths corresponding inversely with the lengths of the studs 79 80 81 82 and 83 and spaced apart correspondingly therewith. These apertures are adapted to be entered by the coupling and spacing pin 59 of the ratchet-wheel 41 to establish driving relation between such driving member and the pattern member while positioning the pattern member laterally in relation thereto. The hub portion 84 has an additional shallow aperture or recess 90 to receive the point of the coupling pin 59 when the controlling elements are to be maintained wholly out of operative relation with the follower-stud 14.

As represented in Fig. 11, the pin 59 is in the deepest aperture 85 and the pattern member is in its closest osition to the driving member with all of its controlling studs occupying paths of movement embracing the follower-stud 14, whereby the ruffiing blade is given operative movements of the same frequency as those of the operating lever, or five for each rotation of the ratchetwheel. By retracting and turning the pattern member to bring any other of the apertures in its hub portion into register with the pin 59, a different number of controlling studs will be brought into operative relation with the follower-stud 14 and a corresponding number of ruffles will be produced for each turn of the pattern member. In the present embodiment a sequence ineluding any number of rufiles, from one to five, may be made for each turn of the ratchet-Wheel, operative impulses of the ruffling blade being omitted for a number of ruflling strokes of the operating lever correspondlng with. the number of controlling studs having a range of movement out of line with the follower-stud.

According to the present improvement as above described, the rufiiing blade receives alternate rufiling and retractive impulses of predetermined frequency in each rufiiing cycle measured by a rotation of the patternwheel, and this is effected by provision of independent operative connections between-- the operating lever and the ruifling-blade carrier of which one connection includes the pattern-wheel bodily adjustable relatively to its progressive operative movements.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In a sewing machine ruifler, a ruiihng blade, a carrier and an operatmg lever for said carrier, and adjustable connection between said carrier and operating lever com-3i prising a supporting member and a shlftable element normally movable in a de fined path and permanently mounted upon said supporting member upon which it is adapted to be adjusted transversely to said.

ing sequence, said connection including a supporting member and an element permanently mounted thereon and deriving normal operative movements from said operating lever and adjustable upon said supporting member independently of its normal operative movements to cause said lever to become automatically inoperative in selected normally operative movements thereof.

8. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a rufliing blade and an operating lever, of means for automatically establishing and interrupting operative connection between said lever and rufiling blade, and comprising a follower and a plurality of permanently connected and adjustably mounted controlling elements adapted for operative movement in unison, means being provided whereby the relative positions of said follower and controlling elements may be shifted while said members remain in operative relation.

4. In a sewing machine rufiier, the combination with a rufiiing blade and an operating lever, of means for automatically establishing and interrupting operative connection between said lever and ruifiing blade, and comprising a follower and a plurality of controlling elements adapted for operative movement in unison and permanently mounted for adjustment into a plurality of positions within operative relation with said follower.

5. In a sewing machine ruffier, the combination with a ruffling blade and an operating lever, of a connection between the same for imparting to the ruifling blade operative movements of the same frequency as those of the operating lever, said connection including a controlling member having a plurality of operatix e portions in permanent relative positions thereon, and a follower therefor, and means for maintaining said controlling member and follower in different operative relations whereby dif ferent operative portions of said member will be presented to the follower in corresponding cycles of movement of the con trolling member.

6. In a sewing machine ruflier, the combination with a rufliing blade and an operating lever, of connecting means between the same comprising a controlling member including a plurality of operative elements in permanently fixed relation, and a follower in normal operative relation with said elements, said controlling member being adjustably mounted and adapted to be shifted relatively to the follower to present thereto different combinations of elements for effecting changes of frequency of actuation of the ruftler-blade in successive rufiling cycles.

7 In a sewing machine rufHer, the combination with a ruffling blade and an operating lever, of connecting means between the same comprising a controlling member including a driving section and an auxiliary section normally spring-pressed toward the same but retractable therefrom, a detacha ble coupling between said sections, and a follower for said controlling member.

8. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a ruffling blade and an operating lever, of connecting means between the same comprising a rotary controlling member including a driving section and an auxiliary section adapted to turn relatively to said driving section toward which it is spring-pressed, acoupling pin carried by one of said sections and adapted to enter different apertures in the other, and a follower for said controlling member.

9. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a ruflling blade and an operating lever, of connecting means between the same comprising a controlling member in cluding a driving section and an auxiliary section spring-pressed toward the same, a coupling pin carried by one of said sections and adapted to enter holes of different depths in the other to vary their spacing apart, and a follower for said controlling member.

10. In a sewing machine ruflier, the combination with a rufiiing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of an intermittently operative connection between said carrier and operating lever and comprising a controlling member constructed with a plurality of diversely formed controlling elements, a reciprocatory member adapted for engagement with said elements, and means for selectively establishing controlling operative relation between said reciprocatory member and different numbers of said controlling elements whereby the frequency of actuation of said ruifling blade is determined.

11. In a sewing machine ruflle'r, the combination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a controlling member comprising a plurality of diversely formed rotary pattern-disks, a follower adapted for operative engagement with and control in its effectiveness of action by said pattern-disks and deriving operative move ments from said lever for transmission to said carrier, and shifting means whereby operative relation may be interrupted between said follower and one of said disks while another of said disks remains in operative relation with the follower.

12. In a sewing machine ruifler, the combination with a ruflling blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a controlling member comprising a plurality of diversely formed rotary pattern-disks, a follower adapted for operative engagement with and control in its efiectiveness of action by any one of said pattern-disks and deriving operative movements from said lever for transmission to said carrier, and means for producing a relative shift between said follower and said member whereby said follower and disks are moved out of operative relation.

13. In a sewing machine rufller, the combination with a ruffling blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a plurality of diversely formed rotary pattern-disks, a driving connection between said operating 115 lever and pattern-disks, a follower adapted for operative engagement with said patterndisks, and means whereby different disks may be brought into controlling operative relation with said follower.

14:. In a sewing machine ruflier, the combination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, an operating lever, and a pawl connected with and deriving operative movements from said lever, of means including a plu- 125 rality of controlling elements movable in different paths for automatically establishing and interrupting operative connection between said pawl and said carrier in consecutive operative movements of said lever, a 130 follower adapted to be acted upon by said controlling elements, and means for shifting the working positions of said controlling elements relatively to said follower.

15. In a sewing machine rufller, the combination with a rufliing blade, of actuating means therefor including adjustable controlling means comprising a member provided with a plurality of operative elements traversing different paths, a follower normally in operative relation with said elements, means carried by said member for insuring its operative relation with said follower in different positions of adjustment, and means whereby said elements may be shifted for selective presentation to said follower.

16. In a. sewing machine rufiler, the combination with a ruffling blade, of actuating means therefor including controlling means comprising a plurality of rotary and sidewise movable pattern-disks, a follower with which said disks are adapted to assume operative relation, and means whereby said disks may be shifted sidewise for selective presentation to said follower.

17. In a sewing machine rulfler, the combination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of automatically acting means for establishing and interrupting operative relation between said carrier and operating lever and comprising a plurality of diversely formed rotary patterndisks, a driving connection between said lever and the pattern-disks, a follower for said. pattern-disks connected with said carrier, and means for shifting said patterndisks selectively into and out of operative relation with said follower.

18. In a sewing machine rulfier, the combination with a ruffiing blade and a carrier therefor, of a plurality of pattern-disks, a follower therefor connected with said car rier, actuating means for turning said pattern-disks, and means whereby said patterndisks may be bodily shifted selectively into and out of operative relation with said follower.

19. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, an operating lever, and a pawl connected with and actuated by said lever, of a plurality of diversely formed rotary pattern-disks mounted for bodily lateral movement, a ratchet-wheel normally in driving relation with said pattern-disks and disposed within the range of action of said pawl, a follower for said pattern-disks connected with sa1d carrier, and means for selectively shifting said pattern-disks bodily into and out of operative relation with said follower.

20. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a ruffling blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of an intermittently operative connection between said carrier and operating lever comprising a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism including a controlling member provided with a plurality of controlling elements, a follower therefor, means whereby the operative re lation of said controlling elements and said follower may be changed to vary the frequency of action of said rufiiing blade, and means independent of said ratchet mechanism whereby the operative connection between said operating lever and carrier may be discontinued during a plurality of cycles of movement of the controlling member.

21. In a sewing machine ruflier, the combination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a rotary driving element, an operative connection between the same and said operating lever, a controlling member provided with aplurality of controlling elements movable in different paths, spacing means interposed between said driving element and controlling member whereby it may be maintained at. different distances from said driving element,,and a follower operatively connected with said carrier and normally disposed in operative relation with said controlling elements. 7

22. In a sewing machine'ruflier, the com-- bination with a rufliing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a rotary driving member, an operative connec tion between thesame and said operating lever, a rotary controlling member provided with a plurality of operative elements traversing difierent paths and formed with a series of apertures of different depths parallel with its axis of motion, a'follower adapted for operative engagement with said elements, and a coupling pin carried by said driving member and adapted to enter any of said apertures for coupling said members together and in variably spaced relation.

23. In a sewing machine ruflier, the combination with a ruffiing blade, a carrier therefor, and an operating lever, of a rotary driving member, an operative connection between the same and said operating lever, a plurality of diversely formed rotary pattern-disks mounted concentrically with said driver-and spring-pressed toward the same and provided with concentrically disposed apertures of different number but adapted to register with one another, a coupling pin carried by said driving member and adapted to enter the apertures of said pattern-disks, and a follower operatively connected with said carrier and normally disposed in operative relation with said pattern-disks.

24. In a sewing machine rufHer, a rufliing blade, a carrier and an operating lever for said carrier, and a plurality of independent actuating connections between said carrier 13 0 and the operating lever, one of which connections comprises a supporting member and a shiftable element permanently mounted and bodilv adjustable thereon, whereby said lever may be rendered inoperative during any selected number of movements of a sequence of normally operative movements.

25. In a sewing machine rufiier, a ruffling blade, an operating lever, and actuating connections between said blade and lever including a plurality of actuating elements adapted to impart difierent predetermined sequences of rufliing impulses to the rufiiing blade during a given sequence of vibrations of said operating lever, and selectively controlled means for rendering ineffective any predetermined number of said elements.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence 20 of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. KARLE.

Witnesses:

GiizA L. TERNA, LEONARD E. FISCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

